Silverswift Dive and Snorkel Great Barrier Reef Cruise
Overview
Available languages
10 hours
Mobile ticket
View the colorful underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef on this full-day trip from Cairns. Whether you are a snorkeler or a scuba diver, experienced or a novice, this snorkel and dive cruise from Cairns is the perfect day out on the Great Barrier Reef. Visiting three different dive sites you'll discover the abundant marine life and diversity of coral which the Great Barrier Reef is world-famous for. This experience is best suited to people who are confident in the water.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Minimum age for all diving activities is 12 years. Medical conditions apply and some people may require a doctor’s certificate to participate in scuba diving..
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
After a single scuba dive a wait of 12 hours is recommended before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater. If doing multiple dives an interval of 24 hours is suggested.
Ceritified Diving: Certified divers must possess an internationally recognised SCUBA certificate card.
Please confirm your booking at least 24 hours prior to travel.
During scheduled maintenance, Silverswift services may be operated by a different vessel than the one shown on this site.
All participants will be required to complete a health questionnaire onboard prior to diving. Some pre-existing medical conditions (eg asthma, heart conditions, etc) may prevent you from diving, please consult your doctor.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Silverswift Dive & Snorkel
Check-in and collect your boarding pass from the Reef Fleet Terminal. Board Silverswift at the Cairns Marlin Wharf between 8:00 - 8:30am. The ultra modern 29 meter catamaran will be your base for the day. Throughout the day you'll visit three different locations which may include Thetford, Milln and Flynn Reef. Each stop showcases a different aspect of the beautiful Great Barrier Reef. At each site you have the choice to snorkel, dive or a combination of both. We recommend you book this reef trip on your first full available day. You then have the opportunity to be flexible and change your travel date if you wish. Your booking can be changed at no additional cost directly with the operator once you are in Cairns. Prebook and secure your booking, but relax in knowing you can make amendments at no charge.
Great Barrier Reef
5 hours dnorkel or dive time at 3 reef sites off Cairns - Flynn, Milln and Thetford reefs known for their abundance of marine life. The sites offer excellent wall dives, swim-throughs and overhangs, great for both novice and experienced divers. you can expect to see an abundance of fish species, hard corals such as staghorn, table, plate and boulder coral, and many species of soft corals.
What‘s Included
Use of Prescription masks
Buffet lunch
Professional guide
Environmental Management Charge (EMC)
Use of Snorkelling equipment
Choice of snorkeling, introductory or certified diving (option selected at time of booking)
Use of dive equipment (if option selected)
Morning and afternoon tea
Snorkel tour with reef guide
Drinks
Wet suit hire for snorkelers (approximately AUD $12.00)
Optional activities (if options not selected)
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Fuel surcharge
Options
Two Introductory Dives
5 hrs on the Outer Great Barrier Reef, visiting 3 sites. Includes 2 introductory dives, buffet lunch, snorkel & dive gear
Snorkeling Only
5 hrs on the Outer Great Barrier Reef, visiting 3 sites. Includes guided snorkel tour, buffet lunch & snorkel gear
One Certified Dive
Certification Required: Certified divers must possess an internationally recognised SCUBA certificate card.
Min Age 13 -One Certified Dive: 5 hrs on the Outer Great Barrier Reef, visiting 3 sites. Includes 1 certified dive, buffet lunch, snorkel & dive gear
One Introductory Dive
Minimum Age 13 - Intro Dive: 5 hrs on the Outer Great Barrier Reef, visiting 3 sites. Includes 1 introductory dive, buffet lunch, snorkel & dive gear. MIN
Three Certified Dives
Certification Required: Certified divers must possess an internationally recognised SCUBA certificate card
Minimum Age 13 - 3 Cert Dives: 5 hrs on the Outer Great Barrier Reef, visiting 3 sites. Includes 3 certified dives, buffet lunch, snorkel & dive gear
Two Certified Dives
5 hrs on the Outer Great Barrier Reef, visiting 3 sites. Includes 2 certified dives, buffet lunch, snorkel & dive gear
Proof of Certification Needed: Certified divers must possess an internationally recognised SCUBA certificate card.
Reviews
441 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Very strong SCUBA diving experience with Silverswift!
bryce712,Mar 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really had a strong experience with Silverswift. This is more of a dive-oriented boat than the other two outfits I dove with in Cairns, AU, and it showed. We did three fives total and saw nudibranchs, parrotfish, triggerfish, spotted garen eels, a giant trumpetfish, a potato cod, giant clams, sea cucumbers, and on and on. I felt very safe diving with this group and would recommend it to others that are looking for a more experienced scuba diving group than some of the other boats that cater more to snorklers or "intro to scuba" folks. Their photo package was surprisingly expensive compared to others, but that's my only real complaint with this group. Highly recommend!
Great day out
Mohammad B,Mar 30, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great experience- definitely go for the introductory dive, and if you don’t have an underwater camera, seriously consider renting one from the tour operator.
Great team of dive crew. ...
Cindy F,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great team of dive crew and boat crew. We did the 3 dive package and were not disappointed. Team took great care of us from check in to disembarking. Vinnie and Kenji were very informative and helpful with gear and underwater sightings. Melanie the photographer was fabulous! Boat was air conditioned and lunch and tea was very tasty. We would do this tour again!
Vomit cruise
Joy R,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00The dive sites and snorkel sites are all in one reef area but just different locations around the reef. But still a good amount of time spent at the locations. The buffet food was ok if you could eat it. Of note the back of the ship is where to sit if you are sea sick. The boat driver doesn't slow down for rough waves. So if the seas are rough you will vomit. They seem well aware and prepared for this as they had tons of vomit bags and always ready for more. I recommend if diving request the 2nd and 3rd dive sites as they won't really reimburse you if you miss your dive site for sea sickness. They said they would but only gave 15% back and not the 50% verbally promised by the dive master. So, if weather was better probably would have been a better experience. Oh well.
Felt pampered and cared for on a once in a lifetime excursion
Mary K,Mar 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Book this! As a solo female traveler, I cannot praise this excursion enough. All of the crew on the ship were wonderful, the company was very responsive to messages when I had questions, and it was the most pampered I have ever felt on a dive trip! I did three certified scuba dives and will never forget this day. I would definitely recommend motion sickness tablets, but even with those I did still get seasick because I am an “inland” sort of person no matter how much I want to love being on the water… But the staff were incredibly helpful and sat with me when I wasn’t feeling well and gave me ice to help me feel better. I really love that it was smaller groups of divers and the quality of the gear, hospitality of the dive master, and even the lunch were just perfect.
Avoid the wet season
AF1-13,Mar 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00We had rough seas on the ride out so only 2 dive sites were used and they were only 100 yards apart so the diving was very similar
brilliant experience
Excursion20789932515,Mar 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00amazing experience, crew were so attentive and knowledgeable, went during the raining season and the boat was fully covered and they offered free sea sickness tablets. we swam at 3 private reefs and they were beautiful, saw lots of amazing sea life. the food was brilliant and they offered free teas and coffees throughout the trip. 10/10 would recommend
Amazing - highly recommend!
emilyrj17,Mar 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00AMAZING TRIP! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Me and my friend booked with Silverswift as we heard it’s the best company for Great Barrier Reef diving and snorkelling, and it definitely lived up to our expectations!! The whole day was very well organised. Even though it was full-on it did not feel rushed or chaotic. We went to 3 different locations of the reef and had over 3 hours in total snorkelling and diving. It was our first time scuba diving, the instructors were so patient and explained the whole process really clearly. We felt so comfortable getting in the water with Paul (our amazing instructor!). Paul pointed out the wildlife while we were diving - we were so close to the turtles it was amazing! At one point my ears were hurting and I signalled to Paul and he was very attentive and helped me. At the 3 locations we saw so much wildlife including turtles, giant clams, a reef shark, so many different fishes and beautiful corals. It was so amazing and we cannot recommend it enough! There was a marine biologist, Jess, on board who answered our questions about the different fishes we saw :) Also the lunch included on board was delicious and we got teas and coffee and cake in the afternoon! It was one of the best, if not THE best, trip we have done whilst travelling the East Coast. We highly recommend booking this trip!
Great experience on this...
Brad S,Mar 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great experience on this boat. It was run very well and is fast so getting to the reef is quick as you can get there. All the staff were very helpful. The only thing I would complain about is we were diving and got back on board after most for lunch and the buffet was a almost over and out of a few things but still had enough food for us. I would definitely recommend this group for sure.
Great snorkelling experience
Eva P,Jan 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were decided in small groups with each group having dedicated supervisor who showed us most interesting spots. Highly recommended.
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